Thursday, 1 January 2009

Deep Fryed Mozzarella CubesPizzaola Sauce1 tablespoon olive oil1/3 cup finely chopped onion1 clove garlic, crushed in press1 cup tomato sauce1/4 cup water1 teaspoon dried oregano1/2 teaspoon dried basil1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakesMozzarella Cubes1 pound Mozzarella cheese, cut in 36 1" cubes1/2 cup all-purpose flour3 large eggs, beaten3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs10 strands spaghetti, broken into 36 3-inch lengthsvegetable shortening or oil, for fryingTo make the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onionand cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cookuntil fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, oregano, basil, and redpepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer until slightly thickened,about 10 minutes. Set aside and keep warm. (The sauce can be prepared up to 1 dayahead, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.)To make the cubes: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line one baking sheet with waxedpaper, and another baking sheet with paper towels. In a deep Dutch oven, melt vegetableshortening over high heat to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat it to 365 degrees F.Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in another shallow bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl. One at a time, roll each mozzarella cube in the flour, dipin the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs. Set aside on the waxed paper.Deep-fry the spaghetti until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using a wire-mesh skimmer,transfer to the paper towels to drain and cool. In batches, without crowding, deep-fry themozzarella cubes until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using the skimmer, transfer to thepaper towels and keep warm in the oven while frying the rest.To serve, spear each cube with a spaghetti stick. Serve immediately with a bowl of thewarm sauce for dipping.Makes 36 cubes. (4 to 6 appetizer servings)Tuna CroquettesServe these deep fried tuna croquettes with French fries or rice2 tablespoons butter1/4 cup all-purpose flour3/4 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon pepper1 cup milk2 cans (7 ounces each) tuna, drained2 tablespoons chopped parsley1/2 teaspoon lemon juicefine dry bread crumbs1 egg, lightly beaten2 tablespoons wateroil for deep fryingIn medium saucepan, melt butter. Add flour, salt and pepper; mix well. Gradually addmilk and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in tuna, parsley and lemon juice; mixwell then chill. Shape mixture into 8 croquettes; roll in crumbs, dip into slightly beatenegg mixed with water and roll again in crumbs. Fry in small batches in deep fat at about370° for about 5 minutesCroquettes should be golden brown. Transfer tuna croquettes to paper towels to drain.Serves 4